Cutting board

ABSTRACT

An integrally formed polymeric cutting board comprising a horizontal cutting surface and an integral trough portion, a first arcuate vertical side wall having an arcuate upper lip portion extending above the cutting surface extending into the trough portion and an opposed vertical arcuate side wall having an upper edge coplanar with the cutting surface forming a truncated ellipsoid in planned view. The cutting surface is further supported by a central support member in the form of a tube having an upper end integral with the horizontal panel. The outer end wall of the trough portion is inclined outwardly and the cutting board includes a removable scoop configured to nest in the trough portion.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application is a continuation in part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/787,596, filed Jun. 11, 2001, which is a continuation-in-part of patent cooperative treaty application PCT/US99/25794 filed Nov. 2, 1999, which claims priority to a U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/107, 194 filed Nov. 5, 1998.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a cutting board of simple rugged construction having a trough integrally molded with the cutting surface and which provides for ease of use in cutting and collection of food and fluid in the trough portion.

Prior cutting boards having included an opening for an elongated slot positioned above a receptacle or reservoir for collecting food and fluids produced during carving or cutting. These prior cutting boards, however, have several shortcomings. For example, the opening in the cutting board is difficult to clean, reduces the useful work or cutting surface of the cutting board and limits the size of cuttings which may be passed through to the receptacle. Depending upon the purpose of the cutting operation, the cut material must be removed from the trough for measuring or the board must be tipped to remove waste. There is a need, therefore, for a cutting board which is simple and rugged in construction and which provides for ease of use and removal of cut material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cutting board of this invention may be integrally formed from a suitable polymer which includes a horizontal panel having an upper cutting surface and an integral trough. The horizontal panel includes first and second sides and first and second ends. A vertical arcuate side wall is integral with the first side of the horizontal panel including an upper arcuate lip portion extending above the cutting surface and into the integral trough which provides for easy sweeping of cut or carved material into the trough. The integral arcuate side wall further includes a lower support portion having a lower edge supporting the first side of the horizontal panel. The cutting board further includes a second vertical side wall integral with the second side of the horizontal panel, which is preferably also arcuate and opening toward the first vertical side wall, having an upper edge coplanar with the cutting surface and a lower edge coplanar with the lower edge of the first vertical side wall which supports the second side of the horizontal panel.

The integral trough portion is defined by the opposed first and second vertical side walls, such that material cut or carved on the cutting surface may be swept along the arcuate lip into the trough, as set forth above. The trough further includes integral opposed end walls each having side edges integral with the first and second vertical side walls and a bottom wall which is preferably coplanar with the lower edges of the first and second vertical side walls. In the most preferred construction, the first end wall of the trough is integral with and extends perpendicular to the horizontal panel and the second opposed end wall is inclined outwardly to catch material swept from the cutting surface. In the most preferred embodiment, the cutting board further includes a tubular support member having an upper end integral with the horizontal panel, generally midway between the sides and ends of the horizontal panel and a lower end coplanar with the lower edges of the first and second vertical side walls.

In the most preferred embodiment, the cutting board of this invention further includes a scoop which nests into the trough for collection of material swept from the cutting surface. In the preferred embodiment, the scoop includes opposed first and second end walls, wherein one of the end walls is inclined to nest within the trough having a lip supported on the inclined wall of the trough. The scoop further preferably includes a handle and volume indicia to indicate the volume of material swept into the scoop.

Other advantages and meritorious features of the cutting board of this invention will be more fully understood from the following description of the preferred embodiments, the appended claims and the drawings, a brief description of which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top elevation of the cutting board of this invention and a scoop.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the cutting board and scoop illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side cross sectional view of FIG. 1 in the direction of view arrows 3—3;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an end view of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a top elevation partially cut away illustrating an alternative embodiment of the scoop.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment of the cutting board 20 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is integrally formed as by injection molding a food quality polymer, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. The cutting board 20 includes an integral trough portion 22 as described below. The cutting board includes a horizontal panel 24 having an upper cutting surface 26 for cutting, carving or filleting food products. The cutting board further includes a first vertical arcuate side wall 28 integral with the horizontal panel 24 including an arcuate upper lip portion 30 extending above the cutting surface 26 of the horizontal panel 24 which continues into the integral trough portion as shown in FIG. 1 which assists sweeping of food products into the trough portion 22. The first vertical side wall 26 further includes a lower support portion 32 as shown in FIG. 3 having a planar lower edge 34. The cutting board further includes a second vertical side wall 36 having an upper edge 38 integrally formed with the horizontal panel 24 and coplanar with the cutting surface 26. The lower portion 40 of the second vertical side wall includes a planar lower edge 42 which is coplanar with the lower edge 34 of the first vertical side wall. In the preferred embodiment, the second vertical side wall 36 is also arcuate, opening toward the arcuate first side wall 28, forming a truncated ellipse as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which provides a very stable cutting surface and which is attractive in appearance.

The trough portion 22 is defined by the first and second vertical side walls 28 and 36, respectively, first and second opposed end walls 44 and 46, respectively, and bottom wall 48. The side edges of the first and second walls 44 and 46 are integral with the first and second vertical side walls 28 and 36 forming an integral assembly. The upper edge 50 of the first end wall 44 is integral with an end portion of the horizontal panel 24 and coplanar with the cutting edge 26 as shown in FIG. 1. In the preferred embodiment of the cutting board 20, the second end wall 46 is inclined outwardly from the bottom wall 48 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and may extend above the cutting surface 26 (not shown). Further, the bottom wall 48 may include holes therethrough (not shown) to drain the trough 22.

A plurality of stands 25 is integrally formed with an underside of the horizontal panel 24 to support the cutting board 20. Preferably, four stands 25 are formed with the underside of the horizontal panel 24. However, fewer than, or more than fours stands 25 may be included as desired. Each of the stands 25 includes a footing 27. Each footing 27 is preferably formed of a soft material to prevent the board from slipping during use. Each footing 27 may be affixed to each stand 25 via force fit, glue, interference fit or an equivalent. The footing 27 comprises approximately one quarter the entire length of the stand 25.

Although the truncated ellipse configuration of the cutting board 20 provides a stable cutting surface 26, further reinforcement of the horizontal panel 24 is desirable to avoid stress cracking. In the preferred embodiment, the horizontal panel includes a support member 52, which is preferably tubular as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, including an upper end 54 integral with the horizontal panel 24 and a lower end 56 coplanar with the lower edges 34 and 42 of the first and second vertical side walls 28 and 36. The preferred embodiment also includes an elongated slot 58 which extends generally perpendicular to the first and second vertical side walls 28 and 36 adjacent the side of the horizontal panel 24 opposite the trough 22. Further reinforcement of the horizontal panel 24 and cutting surface 26 may be provided by fins 60 integral with and radiating from the tubular support member 52 as shown in the bottom view of FIG. 4. The fins 60 may be integrally formed with the first and second vertical side walls 28 and 36 and the bottom wall 44 of the trough as shown in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate one preferred embodiment of a scoop 62 which nests into the integral trough portion 22. The scoop includes opposed end walls 64 and 66 which are configured to nest into the end walls 44 and 46, respectively of the trough 22. That is, the first end wall 64 extends vertically and the 5 opposed second wall 66 is inclined outwardly from the bottom wall 68. The scoop 62 further includes side walls 70 and 72 and a handle 74 integral with the side wall 70. In the preferred embodiment, the side wall 66 includes a lip portion 76 which overlies the upper end of the inclined end wall 46 of the trough portion as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. In the preferred embodiment, the inclined outer wall 66 of the scoop includes volume indicia 78 as best shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a scoop 162 having apertures 180 in the bottom wall 168 of the scoop. The scoop 162 may be otherwise identical to the scoop 62 illustrated in the previous figures including end walls 164 and 166, wherein the end wall 166 is inclined outwardly from the bottom wall 168, side walls 170 and 172, including a handle 174 integral with the side wall 170. The inclined end wall 166 also includes volume indicia and a lip 176 as described above.

Having described the preferred embodiments of the cutting board and scoop assembly of this invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made to the cutting board and scoop of this invention within the purview of the appended claims. For example, as described above, the bottom wall 48 of the trough may have holes therethrough similar to the holes 180 in the scoop 162 shown in FIG. 6. Various other scoop configurations may be used or the cutting board may be used independently of a scoop. Further, the upper end of the inclined end wall 46 of the trough portion may extend above the plane of the cutting surface 26 as described above. Having described preferred embodiments of the cutting board of this invention, the invention is now claimed, as follows. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An integrally formed polymeric cutting board, comprising: a horizontal panel including an upper cutting surface, first and second sides and first and second ends; a first vertical arcuate side wall integral with said first side of said horizontal panel including an arcuate upper lip extending above said cutting surface and a lower support portion having a lower edge supporting said first side of said horizontal panel; a second vertical side wall integral with said second side of said horizontal panel having an upper edge coplanar with said cutting surface and a lower edge coplanar with said lower edge of said first vertical side wall supporting said second side of said horizontal panels; and an integral trough portion including a first end wall having an upper edge integral with said first end of said horizontal panel coplanar with said cutting surface, side edges integral with said first and second vertical side walls and a lower edge generally coplanar with said lower edges of said first and second side walls, a bottom wall having side edges integral with said first and second vertical side walls, and a second end wall opposite said first end wall having side edges integral with said first and second vertical side walls, and said arcuate lip portion of said first vertical arcuate side wall extending into said trough portion directing material cut on said cutting surface into said trough portion.
 2. The cutting board as defined in claim 1, wherein said cutting board includes a support member having an upper end integral with an intermediate portion of said horizontal panel between said sides and a lower end coplanar with said lower edges of said first and second vertical side walls.
 3. The cutting board as defined in claim 2, wherein said support member comprises a tube having an upper end integral with said horizontal panel generally equally spaced between said first and second ends and said first and second sides.
 4. The cutting board as defined in claim 1, wherein said second end wall of said trough extends at an angle relative to said bottom wall of said trough greater than 90 degrees.
 5. The cutting board as defined in claim 1, wherein said horizontal panel includes a slot adjacent said second end extending generally perpendicular to said first and second vertical side walls forming a handle.
 6. The cutting board as defined in claim 1, including a separate scoop nestable in said trough portion having opposed side walls, opposed end walls, a bottom wall and a handle.
 7. The cutting board as defined in claim 6, wherein said end wall of said trough is inclined outwardly at an angle relative to said bottom wall of said trough greater than 90 degrees and one of said end walls of said scoop inclined at about the same angle.
 8. The cutting board as defined in claim 6, wherein one of said side walls of said scoop includes a lip portion overlying said second end wall of said trough.
 9. The cutting board as defined in claim 1, wherein said second vertical side wall is arcuate opening toward said first vertical side wall.
 10. An integrally formed polymeric cutting board, comprising: a horizontal panel including an upper cutting surface, first and second side portions and first and second end portions; a first vertical arcuate side wall integral with said first side portion of said horizontal panel including an upper arcuate lip portion extending above said cutting surface and a lower support portion having a lower edge supporting said first side portion of said horizontal panel; a second vertical arcuate side wall integral with said second side portion of said horizontal panel opening toward said first vertical arcuate side wall having an upper edge portion coplanar with said cutting surface and a lower edge coplanar with said lower edge of said first vertical arcuate side wall supporting said second side portion of said horizontal panel; a support member having an upper end integral with an intermediate portion of said horizontal panel and a lower end coplanar with said lower edges of said first and second arcuate side walls; and an integral trough portion including generally vertical first and second opposed spaced end walls each having opposed end portions integral with said first and second vertical arcuate side walls and a bottom wall generally coplanar with said lower edges of said first and second vertical arcuate side walls, wherein said arcuate lip portion of said first vertical arcuate side wall extends into said trough portion directing material from said cutting surface into said trough portion.
 11. The cutting board as defined in claim 10, wherein one of said end walls of said trough portion is inclined relative to said bottom wall of said trough portion at an angle greater than 90 degrees relative to said bottom wall.
 12. The cutting board as defined in claim 11, including a separate scoop nestable in said trough portion having opposed side walls, opposed end walls and a bottom wall, wherein one of said end walls is inclined at an angle generally equal to the angle of said second end wall of said trough.
 13. The cutting board as defined in claim 10, wherein said support member is tubular having an upper end integrally joined to said horizontal panel generally equally spaced between said side portions and said end portions of said horizontal panel.
 14. The cutting board as defined in claim 10, wherein said horizontal panel includes a slot adjacent said second end portion extending generally perpendicular to said first and second vertical arcuate side walls forming a handle.
 15. The cutting board as defined in claim 10, wherein said horizontal panel is further supported by radial web portions integral with said support member and said horizontal panel. 